Additions, changes, Bag-E-Wash, and a chance to see us in person...
Good grief, where to start? Probably with NearSea News, I'm thinking. You may have noticed that we've divided our yarns into three categories (animal-based, plant-based, and blended), and added some glorious new yarns to boot.
We've also created and populated a whole category of yarn patterns for Bigger People, Littler People, Craft-Loving People, All People, and Diapered People (we're a bit knitting-heavy -- any suggestions for good crochet patterns that're US-made by cottage businesses?). We've added a new line of ocean-inspired decorator fabrics from Oliveira Textiles that I absolutely love, and new Mod Green Pod fabrics too. Your high-end, modern, stylish organic fabric needs can all be met right here at NearSea Naturals! (Your gorgeous pseudo-boiled wool needs will met too, just in time for winter, and we've added a bunch of other new fabrics throughout the site as well.)
Keep reading for more NearSea News and a non-NearSea Naturals holiday gift to consider giving.
We've always focused on US-made fabrics and items, with the judicious addition of sustainably-made non-US fabrics and goodies (especially since there is no US-made hemp fabric, sadly), but we decided that it needs to be more obvious what's US-made and what isn't. We've thus added a (somewhat stylized) US map to show items that're produced here. In the detailed description we explain whether the item is made or just printed/dyed in the US. In addition to requiring less fossil fuel to transport (and being much more friendly, duty-wise, for our Canadian customers) and being subject to the United States' environmental and labor regulations (the majority of which we go far above and beyond, of course), buying US-made fabrics helps keep traditional fabric manufacturing and cotton-growing communities alive while ensuring that they're rewarded for sustainable practices and organic agriculture. We'll be including the Co-Op America Guide To Fair Trade with our orders for the next several weeks, to give you more information about the importance of buying fairly traded products -- as you know, it's a strong focus of ours, and we encourage everyone to learn more about the issue.
Just in time for the holidays, I was thrilled to find that in addition to their inserts that let you wash plastic bags in the dishwasher, Bag-E-Wash also has beautiful wooden drying racks for the hand-washers among us. We've used similar wooden racks for years (ours are a bit tattered by now), and I'm so glad to find a Co-Op America-approved source for new ones for gifts.
Want to see us in person? Insurance and zoning restrictions (and the fact that our business is located so very far from anything resembling a paved road) mean we can't have visitors to our headquarters, but we'll be exhibiting at the San Francisco Green Festival November 9-11. Visit us in booth 1045. We'll have pieces of most of the fabrics we currently carry, some gorgeous quilts that people have made with our materials, and sewing and knitting kits to satisfy your need for something fun to do RIGHT NOW. (Well, right then, but you know what I mean... ) So plan to visit the festival for interesting speakers, tasty organic food, and a chance to meet your favorite sustainable fabric folks.
Oh, and do consider taking the Think Outside The Bottle challenge. It's good for the world, good for your wallet, and probably even good for your health (I'm convinced plastic water bottles are nasty).